I’ll admit it— I think way too much when I lift. Maybe not during the actual lift, where I tend to focus on 1-2 primary movement cues, but between sets. Here’s what’s been on my frontal cortex lately…

One: The Subtle Nuances Of Temperature Regulation

Sometimes I feel a little like a cold-blooded reptile during my workouts (how’s that for an opening teaser?)

I’m simply referring to the ongoing (and usually subconscious) effort to regulate temperature during my training sessions. After all, your performance will suffer if you’re running too hot or too cold. Being too hot is fatiguing, distracting, and may also result in excessive perspiration, which, aside from being annoying, can actually be a safety hazard. And obviously, if you allow yourself to cool off too much, your performance suffers as your soft tissues lose their pliability. Here are a few of the things I catch myself doing as I try to maintain a happy thermic medium:

Toweling off (prevents cooling due to sweat evaporation)

Not toweling off (accelerates cooling due to sweat evaporation)

Drinking water (decreases core temperature)

Not drinking water (maintains core temperature)

Resting longer between sets (allows cooling)

Shorter rests between sets (prevents cooling)

Pacing between sets (prevents cooling)

Sitting between sets (accelerates cooling)

Putting on more clothing (prevents cooling)

Taking off clothing (accelerates cooling)

Standing under A/C vent (accelerates cooling)

Moving away from A/C vent (prevents cooling)

As if I haven’t over-analyzed this sufficiently, one more important thought about temperature regulation: if you’re not already doing so, you should consider using some of the truly great sweat-wicking fabrics that are available today (most notably Under Armor, but also the fabrics used by Adidas, Nike, and Russell, just to name a few). Cotton clothing, especially if you sweat a lot and/or live in a hot/humid climate, is terrible at wicking sweat which means you’ll have a hard time maintaining a consistently-ideal body temperature.

Two: The Load-Speed-Technique Continuum

Recently I’ve been cranking out some (for me) big snatches, and right in the middle of a heavy double the other day, it occurred to me that for some time now, my head has been so wrapped around technical issues that I’ve forgotten about the value of speed, which is arguably one of the most critical facets of successful lifting. After all, it doesn’t matter if you’re squatting, benching, flipping a tire, or chinning yourself, moving the load faster has an amazing way of ensuring success.

And technique, by the way, is velocity-specific: just because you can execute a slow lift properly doesn’t mean you can execute a fast lift properly. As I work my way through my warm-up sets, I’ll typically perform the first rep slowly and the second rep faster, trying to maintain technical consistency over both reps. Then, as I hit my top sets, I’ll try to maintain that technical model with limit and near-limit weights.

Three: Technique VS Speed

You might be surprised to learn that I think slow lifts are valuable. Note that I didn’t way “purposefully slow.” I’m just referring to heavy lifts that are slow for the simple reason that you can’t move them any faster. I’ve been thinking about this lately because I’ve been focusing more on heavier squats and deadlifts, and after watching videos like this one from last week

I’m amazed too see how fast I’m actually moving weights that actually feel quite slow. This is probably due to the fact that I spend most of my time moving weights very quickly. I’m better off (and you would be too) using a variety of lifting speeds, ranging from accelerative to grinding— this helps to fill out your sensory portfolio, and you’ll be less likely to miss a new PR opportunity when 85% feels like 100%.

“One of the signs of a great teacher is the ability to make the subject matter seem simple. Charles Staley is one of these rare teachers. After listening and talking to him, you suddenly achieve a new awareness of training. You go to the gym and, suddenly, everything makes sense, and you wonder why you haven’t been doing it his way since day one.” – Muscle Media 2000 magazine August, 1999

Prominent both the United States and across the globe, Charles is recognized as an insightful coach and innovator in the field of human performance. His knowledge, skills and reputation have lead to appearances on NBC's The TODAY Show and The CBS Early Show, along with numerous radio appearances.

He has authored more than a thousand articles for leading fitness publications and websites, and has lectured to eager audiences around the World.

Charles is not only a thinker, but also a doer: At age 54, he competes in the sport of raw powerlifting, and is a 2-time World Champion (220 and 198-pound weight classes). Find Charles online at www.TargetFocusFitness.com.

One Response for Three Things I’ve Been Thinking About Lately

Mark:

July 10, 2009 04:36 am

Couldn’t agree more about the use of speed variation as another variable that should be changed with regularity. Too many people continually use the same ‘3 sets of 10’ routine with the same tempo and in the same range of intensity.